Cushion support



J. H. WOOD `Iuly l2, 1932.

C SHTON SUPPORT Filed March 2o, 1931 Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES` JUSEPH H. WOOD, F AURORA HILLS, VIRGINIA CUSHION sUrPonT Application led March 20, 1931.

This invention relates to an improvement in cushion supports, as for a heel or heel pad, heel leveler or arch support, and may therefore cover only a part or the entire inner portion of the shoe and may have, if desired, arch Y supporting portions or pads applied thereto as may be found desirable.

It is the object of this invention to provide for securely holding the support or the like in place in the shoe by the inherent characteristics of the support itself, making it u nnecessary for it to be tacked or otherwise secured in place by extraneous means. The support, according to this invention, has the characteristic of clinging to the bottom of the shoe to eli'ectively hold itself in place against slipping, curling up at the edges or being otherwise displaced in any manner.

To accomplish this object, I utilize in the construction of the support a sheet of resilient material, such as sponge rubber, or having some of the characteristics of sponge rubber, but which sheet has a scabrous bottom surface provided with perforated semi-globules, which is not true of ordinary sponge rubber, and this scabrous surface is adapted to be placed against the bottom of the shoe and cling thereto to hold the insole against slippage.

This resilient bottom layer is preferably covered by a covering strip such as a thin strip of soft leather or the like tocover the same, and which leather has a glazed upper surface and a fibrous lower surface to effectively adhere to the rubber bottom layer.

It has been proposed heretofore to construct insoles or the like by the use of ordinary sponge rubber, but that does not have of the shoe, and it must therefore be secured in place to prevent it from curling up or from slipping. This is effectively overcome by using a sheet of rubber or resilient mate-,

the characteristics of clinging to the bottom` Serial No. 524,122.

Fig. l is a perspective view of the bottom of the cushion or the like;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view @the line 44 of 5 Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a magnified view of a portion of the bottom surface of the rubber sheet or layer.

The invention is shown as applied to a portion of a cushion, having a metatarsal supporting pad therein, and which pad is designated by the numeral l and may be constructed of rubber or resilient material. A strip of soft leather 2 is placed over. the pad 1 and forms the top of the cushion, and this strip of leather preferably has the top surface 3 thereof glazed, while its bottom surface 4 is fibrous.

A bottom strip 5 of soft rubber or other cushion material is secured to the underside of the leather strip 2, and a strip of fabric 6 covers the top of this rubber strip 5. This fabric serves as a binder for Vthe leather strip 2 and the strip 5, and together with the soft underside 'of the leather effectively binds the same to the cushion strip and holds them against separation. They may be glued together if desired.

The strip 5 is preferably cut from a sheet of material, and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is approximately of uniform thickness throughout the cushion. It need not be molded into shape, but where a metatarsal or other support is adapted to he used therewith, such support or pad is preferably applied to the top of the resilient strip and between the same and the leather strip.

The strip 5 is constructed of soft sponge material and may be of rubber or the like, which, however, has a scabrous undersurface 7 covered by small integral granules or bubbles in the nature of semi-globules having the outer sides, of at least some of them, perforated as shown in Fig. 5, and which are formed integral in the surface of the rubber sheet -or strip. This scabrous undersurface on the strip 5 serves to-cling tothe bottom of the shoe when placed therein and pressed down over its whole surface, to prevent the insole from curling up, slipping or otherwise being displaced Within the shoe and yet making it unnecessary to use any fastening means ,y to hold-it in place. Even when only a portion of an insole is used and extends over a very small area of the bottom o f theshoe, this scabrous surface serves to effectively hold the same against slippage.

I claim:

1. A combined insole and arch support of the character described, fashioned to conform in outline to a portion of the sole of a shoe, and comprising two layers of material and a pad forming a metatarsal support inserted therebetween, one of said layers composedof compressible elastic material, and having relatively minute perforated semi-globules on the lower surface which causes it to cling to the surface to which it is applied and hold the insole in place.

2. A combined insole and arch support of the character described, fashioned to conform in outline to a portion of the sole of a shoe, and comprising two layers of material and a pad forming a metatarsal support inserted therebetween, one of said layers composed of laminations of fabric and rubber permanently secured together, and having minute perforated semi-globules on the lower surface, the pad having a substantially fiat lower surface by which it is secured permanently to the fabric lining, and a convex upper surface secured to the upper layer of the device.

In testimony .whereof I aix my signature.

JOSEPH H. WOOD. 

